Independence Corridor

[mallguy]

At least it'll improve the aesthetics of Independence and hopefully that will be one factor in promoting improvements. The Wilkinson Wal-Mart is much much much more attractive than the vacant Woolco that was torn down and that creates a much better image of the area. I don't see that the Wikinson Wal-Mart has attracted any businesses in addition to the ones in its shopping center though.

I assume that the Eastway Crossing shopping center will lose a ton of tenants though.

[Spartan]

While this is technically redevelopment, it's also relocation of sprawl. This Walmart is not new to the area, so it's not like the community is "underserved" by Walmart. It's just moving from like a mile away. It will most likely kill off the current shopping center on Eastway unless something else moves in there.

[underoak]

While this is technically redevelopment, it's also relocation of sprawl. This Walmart is not new to the area, so it's not like the community is "underserved" by Walmart. It's just moving from like a mile away. It will most likely kill off the current shopping center on Eastway unless something else moves in there.

So does anyone here know who owns the old site, the Eastway Crossing Shopping Center, or how to find out?

Polaris says: Eastway I Holdings, which upon Googling turns up an Excel document from the U.S. Postal Service that lists an address for the company of P.O. Box 36799, in ZIP code 28236.

The shopping center was sold in 2007, according to Polaris, for $11 million to Eastway I Holdings. I can't imagine current valuation listing it that high, but then I know nothing about commercial real estate.

[New Name]

So does anyone here know who owns the old site, the Eastway Crossing Shopping Center, or how to find out?

Polaris says: Eastway I Holdings, which upon Googling turns up an Excel document from the U.S. Postal Service that lists an address for the company of P.O. Box 36799, in ZIP code 28236.

The shopping center was sold in 2007, according to Polaris, for $11 million to Eastway I Holdings. I can't imagine current valuation listing it that high, but then I know nothing about commercial real estate.

Doesn't Walmart usually hold an option on their leases that says that no other retailer can move into their buildings for "x amount of time." (This is so that Target (or any other retailer) can't come into Walmarts existing neighborhood base and take their shoppers.

I don't think this dooms Eastway Crossing. The Walmart sits alone, in the corner of the lot. The other building has a market, blockbuster, portifinos, police station, mcdonalds - all pretty resilient. And across the street is Food Lion, Showmars etc..

[Eastman]

Doesn't Walmart usually hold an option on their leases that says that no other retailer can move into their buildings for "x amount of time." (This is so that Target (or any other retailer) can't come into Walmarts existing neighborhood base and take their shoppers.

I don't think this dooms Eastway Crossing. The Walmart sits alone, in the corner of the lot. The other building has a market, blockbuster, portifinos, police station, mcdonalds - all pretty resilient. And across the street is Food Lion, Showmars etc..

Agreed, the owners of this particular shopping center have been very good at keeping the tenant spaces full, and they have known of Walmart's intentions for sometime now.

[southslider]

It's hard to imagine a pedestrian-friendly land use sandwiched between an expressway and a small bluff. On the other side of Independence along the Sheffield neighborhood, I think that's an area that could be incorporated back into the neighborhood as medium-density residential with limited neighborhood-scaled services. But this side of Independence where Wal-Mart is going is topographically separated from the Oakhurst neighborhood. Only the edge along Pierson has a neighborhood relationship, but I can see the residents already asking to be walled off as well from Wally World.

[Otto]

Ultimately, everyone hopes that the Independence Corridor will be revitalized. For those who have not actually seen the design for the next section of Independence Blvd, here's the link.....

http://www.mumpo.org/PDFs/IndependenceBlvd...Map(u0209b).pdf

The current design will continue the same cross-section that Independence has west of Albemarle. The purpose of the proposed cross-section is to move traffic...with a transit accomodation......again, it's to move traffic. The savior of Independence will be the residents of the surrounding communities.......businesses investing in opportunities in the area, not whether or not NCDOT constructs TIP Project U-209B.

Apparently, Wal-mart feels the need to expand.....with expansion, hopefully that brings better services for customers......additional jobs (in a state with a high unemployment rate).....additional space for small business (the old Wal-mart and the new shopping center)...additional tax revenue from the city. Granted, this isn't what some would consider the ideal company moving in (a new computer company or heavy industrial facility moving to the area).....it is a company that has seen consistent growth.

[dubone]

Please note that the Walmart is going where they've already converted to a expressway west of Sharon Amity. This marks progress for retail in the expressway section, as most retail has died during construction and then failed to return afterward. I think that is why people are so happy to see progress.

In general, there is way too much retail space on Independence as a vestige of the olden days. They need to continue with the expressway building and get to a new stable level with fewer but stronger retailers. Even if it happens to be the 900 lb gorilla like Walmart.

[dubone]

Also note that the design you show here is the what WOULD be built soon with Garvee bonds but the state is trying to trick the locals into converting that money to 485 so that the city can give up some loop funds in the long run. So now, that project, which would be in the next few years, has a possibility of shifting far to the future.

[uptownliving]

It's hard to imagine a pedestrian-friendly land use sandwiched between an expressway and a small bluff.

This is my opinion of the entire Independence corridor and is why I don't think they should put LRT down the road. I have yet to see an example where LRT down the middle of an expressway spurs TOD.

I think that what is going to be built along Independence as far as I can see into the future will all be car based sprawly type development just like this Wal Mart for the reasons you already outlined:

- People don't want to live next to Freeways

- The existing residential that borders Independence doesn't want or support high density land use needed to support LRT...especially the connections back into the neighborhoods.

The only way I really seeing anything close to TOD working is if midrise office/commercial buildings line Independence to act as a sound barrier behind which you could put more residential TOD.

I really think most of the pedestrian scale TOD type development will pop up along the parallel routes of Central and Monroe.

[southslider]

It's hard to satisfy East Charlotteans who want light-rail transit but not the residential densities that come with it. But it's hard for most to grasp the very nuance that distinguishes amenity-based multi-family/mixed-used development following the contextual transect from auto-oriented, Euclidean, isolated complexes dumped on thoroughfares and walled-off from exclusive single-family subdivisions. And given the prolific failures of the latter felt all across East Charlotte, now all multi-family is assumed the same failings, even better designed forms that are transit-supportive, pedestrian-scaled and context-sensitive.

I think it's up to East Charlotteans to decide if they want Independence to be lined with nodes of offices and park-and-rides supportive of BRT or transit villages inclusive of multi-family supportive of LRT. Right now, it seems most residents want the blight to be bought out for berms similar to what is found in Chantilly and Morningside. But trees won't ride even BRT, if that's the case.

Personally, I agree that areas between stations should ideally revert to lower densities and be absorbed back into the neighborhoods. Problem is how to you reduce someone's development rights, even when the market is moving away from radial retail corridors to nodal power centers, lifestyle centers, and urban/transit villages.

[nyxmike]

Also note that the design you show here is the what WOULD be built soon with Garvee bonds but the state is trying to trick the locals into converting that money to 485 so that the city can give up some loop funds in the long run. So now, that project, which would be in the next few years, has a possibility of shifting far to the future.

True, however MUMPO continues to support Independence over 485. They know NCDOT is making up excuses. I highly doubt they will choose to abandon the Independence project.

Edited August 27, 2009 by nyxmike

[underoak]

Back to Eastway Crossing Shopping Center for a minute, to respond to The Escapists and Eastman:

The center as a whole has lost a DMV office recently, and the post office is one of those up for review for closing. A commenter on my blog says Blockbuster is closing in a couple of weeks, and that makes sense with the advent of NetFlix and Red Box.

Agreed, the Atlantic Market and Portofino's are hits, but the other side of Eastway with Food Lion has struggled for years with various retailers, bringing home Dubone's point that the area in general has too buildings for generic, large retailers.

Many of the WalMart customers arrive on foot and by bus. I hope the new location accommodates them, and I hope the old location can draw some retailers to serve them. Someone suggested hardware. That would be welcome, I'm sure.

I'm just hoping that the developer of Eastway Crossing finds a way to refit and draw in smaller businesses after several blows. And perhaps somehow the post office could remain.

Or heck, while I'm dreaming, maybe the ReStore and Julia's coffee shop could relocate from further down Eastway/Wendover, though the Restore near Home Depot makes lots of sense.

[Spartan]

The new location will have transit service, but it will have horrible access for pedestrians.

[cltbwimob]

I think it's up to East Charlotteans to decide if they want Independence to be lined with nodes of offices and park-and-rides supportive of BRT or transit villages inclusive of multi-family supportive of LRT. Right now, it seems most residents want the blight to be bought out for berms similar to what is found in Chantilly and Morningside. But trees won't ride even BRT, if that's the case.

Speaking of BRT/LRT for the Independence Corridor, does anyone know what alternative to which MTC/CATS is leaning? I can't really find too much about whether LRT or BRT is preferred. Some in the Wikipedia realm think that the locally preferred alternative will be light rail even though it was initially chosen as BRT. I know Wikipedia is unreliable, but I am hoping that it will be LRT.

[Miesian Corners]

I'm still waiting for an answer from city officials as to what they plan to do with Eastway Crossing once the new Sprawlmart opens on Independence. All this time and effort to build a new store on what is now, in essence, a freeway, while a new dead zone is in the process of being created at the northwest corner of Eastway and Central. This is classic robbing Peter to pay Paul.

[southslider]

^If Central is ultimately going to be a vibrant, strolling district with streetcar, while Independence an expressway with median-running BRT, I think Wal-Mart is likely better over on Independence instead of Eastway near Central.

I also think that Eastway Crossing has a lot stronger redevelopment potential as a town center than Eastland Mall. Maybe the streetcar design could look at ending at Eastway instead. That would save two-plus miles of track. The market is already strong on Central to The Plaza, but weak out at Eastland. Eastway may be a good compromise to still reach transit-dependents and spur development east of Plaza-Midwood.

[ChiefJoJo]

This is my opinion of the entire Independence corridor and is why I don't think they should put LRT down the road. I have yet to see an example where LRT down the middle of an expressway spurs TOD.

Wait, isn't the LRT option proposed to be routed onto either side of the expressway, and not down the middle? I thought BRT was down the middle and LRT would shift from the median to the edge of the right-of-way.

[Miesian Corners]

^If Central is ultimately going to be a vibrant, strolling district with streetcar, while Independence an expressway with median-running BRT, I think Wal-Mart is likely better over on Independence instead of Eastway near Central.

I also think that Eastway Crossing has a lot stronger redevelopment potential as a town center than Eastland Mall. Maybe the streetcar design could look at ending at Eastway instead. That would save two-plus miles of track. The market is already strong on Central to The Plaza, but weak out at Eastland. Eastway may be a good compromise to still reach transit-dependents and spur development east of Plaza-Midwood.

I make a strong note of your chosen word "potential". It's still going to be a dead center in the heart of a neighborhood, and it's still trading one for the other (in the "short term"). I'm still not clear as to why the new store on Independence is somehow better for the east side of town? Cleaning up one at the expense of the other is not a solution.

[underoak]

I make a strong note of your chosen word "potential". It's still going to be a dead center in the heart of a neighborhood, and it's still trading one for the other (in the "short term"). I'm still not clear as to why the new store on Independence is somehow better for the east side of town? Cleaning up one at the expense of the other is not a solution.

Someone suggested the site could give Harris Teeter a chance for the bigger store the area needs, though I feel for Plaza Midwood neighbors and think they do need a walkable neighborhood grocery. But I can't imagine a three-way grocery fight at that point on Eastway, between Food Lion, Atlantic Foods and Teeter.

Then again, many PM folks have abandoned their local Teeter for some things and seem to be going to the Midtown Target and even the SuperWalmart on Wilkinson for inexpensive staples (because Teeter's way too expensive for some stuff, can't offer enough variety, and those shoppers weren't comfortable with existing choices on Eastway.)

If Eastway Crossing is spiffed up by the owner, and if the route and the stores at Eastway Crossing feel safe enough, PM and I bet even Elizabeth folks will go hunting for bargains, along with other Eastsiders. Let's hope the owner of the property gets that message and that the police department does its part.

[tozmervo]

The new location will have transit service, but it will have horrible access for pedestrians.

CATS is going to have to significantly reconfigure bus lines in the area to get any level of service to this new store. The current location has service by three lines. 17 Commonwealth and the community circulator could likely be altered to access the new location (assuming full size buses can navigate the those neighborhood streets). Without clear vehicular access to North Independence, I wouldn't expect any buses running on Independence to turn into the Walmart.

[southslider]

^I think where 17 and 29 are now on Sharon Amity (2600-3000 blocks) could shift to Albemarle Road and Pierson Drive to access the new Wal-Mart.

And won't local bus stops have to be removed on Independence between Sharon Amity and Conference just as they were on other expressway sections? If that's the case, it may be harder to get a bus at many shopping centers other than the new Wal-Mart. For example, buses won't be able to stop any more in front of the new Rose's.

[Spartan]

CATS is going to have to significantly reconfigure bus lines in the area to get any level of service to this new store. The current location has service by three lines. 17 Commonwealth and the community circulator could likely be altered to access the new location (assuming full size buses can navigate the those neighborhood streets). Without clear vehicular access to North Independence, I wouldn't expect any buses running on Independence to turn into the Walmart.

True, but pretty much everyone who can't drive will have to take the bus, whereas the current location is surrounded by neighborhoods from which people can (and do) walk.

[Madison Parkitect]

Biz Journal saying Coliseum Center next to the new WalMart is going to be renovated. http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/real_estate/2014/02/texas-firm-to-buy-renovate-coliseum-center-on-east.html

Edited February 24, 2014 by Windsor Parkitect

[rjp212]

I hope they change the traffic pattern for the center so there aren't curb cuts on Independence.